State Budget To Significantly Increase Personal Needs Allowance For Nursing Home Patients

Tallahassee–Florida Senate President Don Gaetz (R-Niceville) today released the following statement on House Bill 5001, The General Appropriations Act, Florida’s 2014-15 State Budget. House Bill 5001 was made available to lawmakers and the public this evening, making the legislation available for final passage on Friday.

“The budget finalized by our House and Senate Conference Committees will increase the personal needs allowance for vulnerable elders, veterans, and persons with disabilities who reside nursing homes throughout our state from $35 per month to $100 per month.

“For these vulnerable Floridians, $35 a month – $1.16 per day – is the only money they have at their personal discretion. This is the only money they have to call their children, send a birthday card to their grandchildren, buy a candy bar or get a haircut. We can do better, and through this budget we will.

“This appropriation has no special interests behind it, no lobbyists hired to advocate for it, and no campaign to pass it. The personal needs allowance is for our mothers and fathers, our grandparents and elders who built Florida and now look to us for basic decency that allows them to maintain their dignity.”

“I am grateful to Speaker Weatherford, Chair Negron and to my colleagues in the House and Senate for supporting this critical initiative.”

Online Public Information File

Viewers with disabilities can get assistance accessing this station's FCC Public Inspection File by contacting the station with the information listed below. Questions or concerns relating to the accessibility of the FCC's online public file system should be directed to the FCC at 888-225-5322, 888-835-5322 (TTY), or fccinfo@fcc.gov.